Wasteland Border Inspector - Chapter 775

Chapter 775: Chapter 257: Recruiting Allies, Charging Station! (Part 2)

In an instant, countless thoughts flashed through Hou Genbao’s mind—community lockdown, thousands of people homeless, himself dragged away for trial…just like years ago when he faced the Corps’ court.

Yet the more he panicked, the less he could utter a word, frozen in place, cold sweat dripping down his cheeks.

“Don’t be so tense.” Cheng Ye leaned back on his chair, expressionless but carrying an air of control over everything, “Your secrets aren’t secrets to me. If I want to know something, it’s just a matter of a call, a question.”

He gestured to the chair opposite, “Have a seat; you’re not done reading yet.”

Hou Genbao, like a marionette, mechanically sat back down, eyes unfocused on the screen.

Cheng Ye’s finger lightly tapped on the Defense Communication, the interface switched, and a detailed personal record appeared prominently:

[Hou Genbao (Ten-year Resident)]

[Personal Strength]: D+ (Former patrol leader under the 47th Corps of the Pioneer Corps, demoted and forcibly retired due to erroneous decisions causing injury and death to 217 members)

[Stability]: C+ (During tenure as district manager in Yongxing Community, a cumulative total of 142 cases of “mysterious disappearance” occurred. After investigation: all were privately dealt with for violations of community rules, stability rating downgraded one level; no malicious feedback in neighbors’ evaluations, rating adjusted up half a level)

[Threat Level]: C- (No familial ties, moderate propensity for violence, indifferent towards Happiness City’s current regulations, frequently tests the boundaries, and has three documented attempts of bribing Civil Affairs Bureau personnel)

[Anomalous Data]: None (Due to low resident identity level, not currently included in in-depth investigation scope)

[Character Tags]: Utilitarianism, Violent Means, Disregard for Rules, Smooth Operator

[Potential Rating]: None (Due to low resident identity level, supercomputer does not generate potential assessment)

[Complete Experience]:…

…

Row by row of cold data felt like daggers stabbing into Hou Genbao’s heart.

His complexion shifted from pale to flushed red, then gradually faded to ashen gray.

Discussing personal privacy in Happiness City was essentially a luxury.

This Super Shelter City might not immediately grasp the newcomers’ details, but for old residents like him beyond the ten-year mark, the Civil Affairs Bureau and Statistics Bureau update records annually. The so-called ratings are results generated by supercomputers based on complete experiences, leaving no room for deceit.

Even for someone like Cheng Ye, an Inspector, altering these records is impossible.

Seeing every smuggling detail in Yongxing and every violation committed clearly documented, the shrewdness in Hou Genbao vanished without a trace, leaving him slumped, drained of strength, against the chair back.

It was like a confrontation without suspense; he hadn’t even revealed his cards when the opponent already had a thorough grasp of his past, leaving no room for negotiation.

And since Cheng Ye dared to lay it all out, it showed that both he and Yongxing had no bargaining chip in front of this Inspector.

“Well, anything missed in the records?”

“No…no!” Hou Genbao’s face grew increasingly troubled, squeezing a few words through clenched teeth.

Cheng Ye nodded slightly and shifted the conversation to a curious question: “I’m a bit puzzled; since Yongxing can steadily profit from side ventures, why limit it to just one deal a month?”

“I…”

He can’t possibly tell Inspector Cheng that frequent scamming invites Dimensional Strikes from above, can he?

But at this point, there’s no point hiding; he frankly answered, “Because that one deal’s income is enough to sustain Yongxing’s basic operations for a month, so there’s no need to risk more.”

“What’s Yongxing’s current expenditure structure like?”

“The bulk is rent.” Hou Genbao settled his nerves and started counting, “The warehouse plus surrounding work areas require a monthly fee of four thousand Happiness Coins to the Civil Affairs Bureau; daily living expenses for 1,500 residents amount to around ten thousand coins; adding procurement of repair equipment materials and utilities, total monthly expenditure is roughly fifteen thousand coins.”

“Holding up under fifteen thousand a month, you’re quite a district manager!”

Cheng Ye couldn’t help but praise.

Estimating Yongxing’s monthly income of five thousand coins from side ventures implies they earn ten thousand coins a month solely by refurbishing second-hand tools.

This skill surpasses the Celestial Essence Community, even when its population was double Yongxing’s size.

“Inspector Cheng is joking.” Hou Genbao forced a smile, instinctively reaching for a cloth in his pocket to wipe sweat, only to recall he had changed clothes, resorting to his hand to wipe his forehead sweat, “Actually, in the past year or two, Yongxing has been in deficit, relying on past savings to barely sustain operations, requiring some to work odd jobs externally to maintain community function.”

“How did you handle the last Stand-In Starfish?”

“We…” Hou Genbao bit his lip, “Upon infection warning, I immediately organized the community’s able-bodied into teams. When the infection swell erupted, we proactively struck, cleared the Starfish in B9 district, and secured the warehouse.”

“How much earned?”

“2400 Starfish…” Hou Genbao answered softly.

With a Starfish priced at 1 Contribution Point, equivalent to 7 Happiness Coins, this single night’s income totaled an impressive 16,800 coins.

However, money isn’t the focus; what’s surprising is Yongxing’s proactive strike.